Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter to chief secretaries of the states and the Union territories, also made it clear that the newspaper delivery supply chain was also allowed under exemptions. In the earlier list of exemptions issued by the government, it had said that print and electronic media would remain open.

Bhalla said the entire supply chain of milk collection and distribution, including its packing materials, has also been allowed during the lockdown period.

While the earlier list of exemptions had ration shops, outlets dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy, the new directive includes hygiene products as well. These products are hand wash, soaps, disinfectants, oral care items, battery cells and chargers.

After the PM’s announcement on March 24 at 8 pm, the MHA issued guidelines on restrictions and said that “shops, including ration shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal fodder” were exempted.

But March 25 saw chaos on the ground with stores running out of supplies as trucks were not allowed to cross borders, vegetable and fruit kiosks were forcibly shut by police, doctors were not allowed to cross inter-state borders and e-commerce delivery staff were beaten up even as their warehouses were forced to down shutters.